Jump to content

Klipsch Center Channel Question


jlock70

Recommended Posts

First post here as a new Klipsch owner.  I am working on upgrading my home theater setup and just purchased a pair of RP-150m speakers.  I am wanting to get a new speaker that matches these and have a question.  I have a somewhat limited space for the center channel in an average sized room .  The RP-400c would fit perfectly in my space, would this match up well with the RP-150m? I could potentially bump up to the RP-500c (or a 250c if I could find it), however, that would force me to move my amp to a different location which I do not prefer to do. Basically, will there be a major sound difference between the 4" and 5.25" center channel matched with the rest of my setup? I have an old cheap sub (will be upgrading that next) so I am hopeful the smaller center will match well with the sub providing a little more low end. Thanks for any input

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your front speakers or sub takes care of low end typically, in a HT setup for movies. Always go as big is better , room size?

You may be alright from what can read...thanks

Edit: Unless your power or AVR you feel is not up to task, let us know brand, model before changing...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unfortunately I don't have pictures, the basement is being renovated for the next 2 weeks and everything is stored away. The room is about 500 SQ feet, but is L shaped. The section with the TV is around 20x15, couch is about 10 feet from the TV. I will be upgrading receivers during this time as well, looking at the Onkyo TX-NR686 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hi jlock70

 

   your klipsch  rp-150m’s are a match with the rp-250c, rp-440c, & rp-450c. the newer rp-400c & rp-500c centers & rp-line, have different tweeters, i would imagine they’d sound fine with your rp-150m speakers. in my opinion i’d stay with the same rp-line, instead of mixing them, if u can, but that’s up to you. 

goodluck to you 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, allenh427 said:

I signed up to ask this exact question.  The 404 vs the 504 to go with my RP-8000Fs.  I really could only fit a 404 right now, but how much am I missing out vs the 504?

hi allenh427

      both of those center’s are a perfect match for your 8000f’s. if price & making room for the 504 isn’t a issue, go with the 504. if it is 404 should be fine. also u could test them both out & see what u like more, most places have 14-30 day no question return policy. 

goodluck to you

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Cass99 said:

hi jlock70

 

   your klipsch  rp-150m’s are a match with the rp-250c, rp-440c, & rp-450c. the newer rp-400c & rp-500c centers & rp-line, have different tweeters, i would imagine they’d sound fine with your rp-150m speakers. in my opinion i’d stay with the same rp-line, instead of mixing them, if u can, but that’s up to you. 

goodluck to you 

This is my assumption, just curious if anyone has heard the new speakers with the RP-150m yet. I do not have anywhere locally to hear them. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've never heard the speakers with the 4" or 5" woofers so I don't have any opinion.

 

I will say that in general you should get the best center speaker you can afford.  I will also say that in general for center speakers I like woofers in the 6-7" range.  It just sounds great for male and female vocals IMO.

 

Specifically I own the RP-600M bookshelf speakers (OK Klipsch, "monitors" B)) and I like the overall sound with its 6.5" woofers.  I also have the RC-64 III which also has 6.5" woofers.

 

Don't worry about "timbre" matching, good sound for vocals/dialog is good sound with anything.  Get the best center speaker you can afford. 

 

Here are the RP-600M with an Usher MTM center, 7" woofers and 1" dome tweeter.  This excellent center works great with the 600's and has now been replaced with the RC-64 III under the TV.

 

1140702457_RP-600Mlivingroomseascene_400.thumb.jpg.a098e471533630c61e1e9e9c62275f67.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, wvu80 said:

I've never heard the speakers with the 4" or 5" woofers so I don't have any opinion.

 

I will say that in general you should get the best center speaker you can afford.  I will also say that in general for center speakers I like woofers in the 6-7" range.  It just sounds great for male and female vocals IMO.

 

Specifically I own the RP-600M bookshelf speakers (OK Klipsch, "monitors" B)) and I like the overall sound with its 6.5" woofers.  I also have the RC-64 III which also has 6.5" woofers.

 

Don't worry about "timbre" matching, good sound for vocals/dialog is good sound with anything.  Get the best center speaker you can afford. 

 

Here are the RP-600M with an Usher MTM center, 7" woofers and 1" dome tweeter.  This excellent center works great with the 600's and has now been replaced with the RC-64 III under the TV.

 

1140702457_RP-600Mlivingroomseascene_400.thumb.jpg.a098e471533630c61e1e9e9c62275f67.jpg

 

Why in the world would you suggest that timbre' matching doesn't matter it most certainly does.  A mismatched center will ruin the whole front stage.  You photo above is a great example of what NOT to do.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Frzninvt said:

Why in the world would you suggest that timbre' matching doesn't matter it most certainly does. 

I used to think that and in the past, accepted that dogma as true.  Due to my experience and willingness to experiment I have come to the conclusion that "timbre matching" is an old wives' tale.  I know what voices are supposed to sound like.

 

The above pictured Usher Center (now replaced by the RC-64 III in the rotation) absolutely makes the RP-600M's sound better.  A clear, quality center does NOT make the L/R sound worse.  The key is a getting a high quality center, not simply a "matched" center.

 

The L/R plays mostly musical content, not dialog.  There is no case in modern recordings where the L/R plays the same content as the center.  Ninety percent of movies/TV is dialog and 90% of dialog comes out of the center.  

 

Try it, you'll like it!  B)

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, weziewoo said:

I ran a 4.2 system for a while and had no issues whatsoever running a "phantom center".

If you're going to be sitting off-axis, a center channel is absolutely required, IMHO.

I don't like phantom centers, they freak me out!  I've heard some phantoms between my Klipsch L/R that are so clear you would SWEAR was a real center speaker sitting in the middle.  :ph34r2:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you don't want to trial both and return one and can make the room I would highly recommend going with the 504c or 450c.

 

I never compared the 404c or any other Klipsch centers but I love the 504c.

 

I compared to other similarly sized and smaller centers including the Emotiva C2, Martin Login 50xt, Wharfedale Diamond 240c, and Polk S30.  I prefered the 504c to to all of the other centers.  Voices were clearer and I could hear detail and nuance I couldn't hear in the others.  Music is awesome as well.

 

Even though the 504c and the 404c use the same tweeter the 504c might have more clarity, brightness, and treble than the 404c due to the fact that the 504c has a larger horn.  I trialled the RP-6000F side by side the RP-8000F and the clarity, brightness and treble in the RP-8000F was night and day better than the RP-6000F even though they have the same tweeter.  I suspect the same MIGHT be true in the 404c vs the 504c.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/12/2019 at 2:10 PM, Frzninvt said:

 

Why in the world would you suggest that timbre' matching doesn't matter it most certainly does.  A mismatched center will ruin the whole front stage.  You photo above is a great example of what NOT to do.

 

 @Frzninvt I'm a newbie, so grain of salt, but I jumped into this headfirst and went a little crazy trialling about 6 different sets of fronts and centers in my home and did a bunch of A/B testing with different front and centers with speaker switches. Based on my testing my opinion is that:

1. Getting the best center you can afford is excellent advice, especially if you are using mostly for movies.  I'm definitely in the camp that the center is the most important speaker (including front  L & R) given that almost all of the "important" sound comes out the of the front, and most of the time the L & R just seem to play "effects."

2. Matching the fronts is overrated, especially if the timbre is somewhat similar between the speakers.  I could almost never tell whether the front R & L matched the center when I was listening "blind" and someone else was changing which speakers were playing.  Now in most cases, there is no reason not to match the center with the fronts especially when aesthetics are taken into consideration.

 

In my case though, I really liked the sound of the Polk S60s but I did not like the Polk Signature series center (S30) especially compared to the rp-504c, there was no comparison.  The rp-504c was the center I like the most out of all I had listened to, but I did not like the rp-6000Fs as they didn't have the clarity and heavy treble I liked in the S60s.  I had read many people talk about he importance of matching the front speakers, so I listened to the Polk S60s and switched back and forth between the Polk center and the 504c with many different movies and movie scenes.  I could tell no difference in the "timbre" matching between the centers, and there was no doubt that the rp-504c sounded much better with the Polk S60s than the Polk center did. 

 

Ultimately I tried the rp-8000Fs and they had the clarity & heavy treble I was looking for, so I went with them (combined with the fact that I thought they looked much better than the Polks and yes it was a definite bonus they matched the 504c)  But had I not liked the rp-8000Fs I would have gone with the Polks and the mismatched rp-504c in a heartbeat, regardless of what anyone says.

Edited by jason51672
sp
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...